Crafting magpie with incurable fabric addiction

Al fresco sewing

Following on from last year’s truly disastrous summer here in the UK (topped off in this household by a holiday in North Wales) it is a thorough delight to be able to languish in the garden until late into the evening.

Not only have I been able to decamp to the deck with my sewing machine, but I suddenly find myself surrounded by inspiration. There are wonderful sunny photos from my friends on Facebook, gorgeous looking berries and fruits in the farm shop and a bounty of flowers that haven’t been beaten into submission by constant rainfall.

I’m sure that my life is no busier than anyone else’s, there seems to be a constant grind to get somewhere fast, and when there are four other people’s itineraries to organise I think I need to remind myself that thinking slowly is time well spent. The Slow movement embraces just this, most famously through food. The philosophy that fruit, vegetables and animals grown at their natural pace makes perfect sense to me. Perhaps it is time to embrace the concept in other areas of our lives. Taking time to build and make things ourselves that define us as individuals rather than the retail buyer’s creation.

Maybe, in due course, we might even see haberdashery and hardware shops an integral part of our high street once again. I for one won’t be complaining.